Lavatory popup waste valve

ABSTRACT

The popup plunger has an offset connector at its lower end cooperable with the end of a ball-mounted lever. In one mode of connection, the ball-mounted lever positively interlocks the plunger, preventing its being lifted out of the plunger casing. In the alternate mode of connection, an interlock is provided as in the first mode; however, unknown to the vandal or unadvised person, the interlock is released by a simple angular movement of the plunger resulting from the flexibility and resilience of the plunger connector itself.

[ Mar. 7, 1972 Unite States 2' atent Rokitenetz [54] LAVATORY POPUP WASTE VALVE 3,453,667 7/1969 [72] Inventor: wane Rokiaemz G'amda Hills FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Assignee: i.-

' Brass Pawima, 153,146 5/1932 Switzerland....................... ....4/197 Calif.

[22] Filed; Mar, 30, 1970 Primary Examiner-Robert G. Nilson 211 App]. No.: 23,863

Assistant Examiner-Donald B. Massenberg Attorney-Flam and Flam ABSTRACT The popup plunger has an ofi'set connector at its lower end cooperable with the end of a ball-mounted lever. in one mode of connection, the ball-mounted lever positively interlocks the plunger, preventing its being lifted out of the plunger casing. In the alternate mode of connection, an interlock is provided as in the first mode; however, unknown to the vandal or unadvised person, the interlock is released by a simple angular movement of the plunger resulting from the flexibility and resilience of the plunger connector itself.

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sum 2 OF 2 147' Tam/ 1 LAVA'IORY POPUP WASTE VALVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to lavatory fixtures and, more particularly, to a lavatory popup waste valve.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art There are a number of reasons why it may be desirable positively to prevent removal of a popup plunger of a lavatory waste valve. One reason is to prevent malicious mischief in public or semipublic restrooms. Another reason is to prevent amateur tampering with the mechanism.

A number of prior art structures are designed to provide optional modes of installation, one mode being positive locking of the plunger and the other mode being a mere gravity rest of the plunger on the operating lever. In the positive locking mode, an upward pull on the operating plunger produces a positive force urging the plunger downwardly to close the waste opening. In the gravity mode, the plunger, due to friction, may not move downwardly when the operating lever is moved upwardly. Some prior art structures utilize a bayonettype interlock that provides a positive downward thrust, but such structures ordinarily do not provide for a positive locking mode. However, such prior art structures do discourage vandalism by preventing the plunger from being directly lifted.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple popup lavatory waste valve structure that has both release and locking modes of operation in which positive force is applied to the plunger in both modes in order to cause the plunger to seat. A companion object of this invention is to provide a popup lavatory waste valve structure of this character in which no parts are substituted or added in order to achieve the alternate modes of operation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to accomplish the foregoing objects, I provide a plunger having an offset connector at its lower end that, by virtue of the judicious choice of materials, is flexible and resilient. The offset end has a hole through which the end of the ball-mounted lever may project. When the offset end is in a position in which the offset is away from the end of the lever, no amount of angular movement will free the plunger. However, when the offset end is in the opposite position, the end of the ball-mounted lever projects only slightly beyond the offset connector whereby angular movement of the plunger flexes the connector to cause disengagement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A detailed description of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings, un-. less described as diagrammatic or unless otherwise indicated, are to scale.

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a popup lavatory assembly incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the plunger subassembly.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along a plane corresponding to line 5-5 of FIG. I and showing angular movement of the plunger resulting in connection to the ballmounted lever.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of a popup lavatory assembly showing the alternate connection between the plunger and the operating lever.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the alternate connection of the plunger and operator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

The sink or wash basin 10 has a waste opening 12 adapted to be connected to a drain pipe 14. The connection is established by the aid of a tubular plunger body 16 made of cast brass or the like. The upper end of the plunger body 16 threadedly carries chrome-plated or other suitable seal flange 18 that overlies the edges about the waste opening 12. The flange 18 is clamped in place by a locknut 20.

The locknut 20 is mounted on an intermediate threaded portion of the plunger body 16. The locknut 20, upon rotation in one direction, reacts upon a tubular tailpiece 22 that depends from the sink l0 and draws the body 16 and flange l8 downwardly. A suitable resilient washer 24 is interposed between the nut 20 and the end of the tailpiece. The tailpiece 22, in this instance, provides a chamber 26 that, in a conventional manner, receives overflow from the sink 10. Ports 28 conduct overflow to the plunger body 16.

Flow of waste through the flange 18 is controlled by a plunger 30. The plunger is guided for vertical movement axially of the body 16 by the aid of a plurality of guide vanes 32. The upper end of the plunger 30 carries a cap 34 that carries an O-ring 36 cooperable with the opening of the flange 18 to achieve the requisite seal when the plunger is moved downwardly.

In order to move the plunger 30 and the closure cap 34, an actuator 38 is provided. The actuator, in this instance, is a rod 40 that projects laterally through an opening 42 near the lower end of the plunger body 16. The inner end of the rod 40 cooperates with a connector 44 carried at the lower end of the plunger 30. The connector 44 is generally C-shaped with its upper arm connected to a depending post portion 46 of the plunger. In this instance, the connector 44 and the plunger 30 are made in one piece. The central or connecting portion 48 of the connector 44 is flat and platelike This portion 48 has an aperture or opening 50 into which the end of the rod 40 may project. The aperture 50 in this instance is essentially circular and located centrally of the portion 48.

The extent to which the rod 40 projects into the body 16 is determined by the mounting of the rod. Thus, the rod carries a ball 52 that seats at the opening 42, which is substantially hemispherical. A capnut S3 confines the ball 52 against the seat provided by the opening 42. The rod 40 is thus capable of angular movement about the center of the ball including angular movement operative to move the inner end of the rod upwardly and downwardly. Such upward and downward movement is, in fact, accomplished by a typical linkage (not shown) that terminates in the conventional manually operable lift plunger or lever. When the rod is moved, the plunger 30 is lifted to open the waste or pulled downwardly to close the waste.

The central portion 48 of the connector 44 is laterally offset from the post 46 which is coaxial with the body 16. To achieve a connection with the rod 40, the connector can be addressed so that the rod 40 enters outside of the C-shaped connector as in FIG. 8 with the central portion 48 positioned toward the lateral opening 42, or the connector can be addressed so that the rod 40 enters the inside of the C-shaped connector as in FIG. 6 with the central portion 48 positioned away from the lateral opening 42 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the position of FIGS. 7 and 8, the rod 40 projects substantially beyond the connector opening 50; hence, angular movement of the plunger is positively stopped by the rod 40 and removal of the plunger is prevented.

However, in the position of FIGS. 5 and 6 in which the rod 40 is tilted upwardly, the rod barely projects past the frontal edge 54 of the opening 50. The edge 54 stops angular movement of the plunger. However, a slight turning torque exerted on the plunger will cause the connector 44 to flex by virtue of the cam action of the rounded end of the rod and the flexible characteristics of the connector itself Thus, in the upwardly tilted position of the rod 40 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cap 34 (phantom lines, FIG. I) is in a position in which it may be grasped whereby the turning torque may be applied. In the position of FIG. 4, the edge 54 clears the rod 40 whereby the connector can be moved to the quadrature position of FIG. 3. In the position of F IG. 3, the lower arm 56 of the connector is just offset from the rod whereby the plunger can be lifted and removed.

Unless the user knows that the plunger can be removed in the manner described, there is very little likelihood of it being removed.

ln order to install the plunger 30, the reverse procedure is followed: the plunger is dropped into position (FIG. 4) with the lever 40 up. The plunger is then rotated by the cap 34, moving it past the position of FIG. 4 to snap the edge 54 over the end of the rod and to the position of FIGS. 5 and 6.

When the rod 40 is moved down (FIG. 1 the end of the rod 40 moves farther into the opening 50.

ln order to provide the requisite flexibility and resilience of the connector, the connector itself or the plunger 30, or both, may have flexible resilient characteristics. I prefer to provide this characteristic by making the connector and the plunger in one molded piece and of material such as Delrin. Other materials can, of course, be used. The requisite resilient snap connection could be provided in other ways. For example, the rod could have a spring detent end and the plunger could be rigid.

The structure provides two modes of installation of the plunger, one in which the plunger is positively prevented from removal, and the other in which the plunger may be removed by a certain procedure. In both modes the rod positively pulls the plunger downwardly so as to ensure a proper seating of the plunger cap 34 with the waste opening.

What is claimed is:

1. In a popup waste structure for a lavatory sink or the like having a waste opening:

a. a plunger body having an upper end adapted to be connected to said waste opening for receiving fluid waste from said sink;

b. a plunger guided in said plunger body for movement longitudinally therein and angularly about the longitudinal axis thereof;

c. a cap carried by said plunger and forming a popup closure for said waste opening;

d. a plunger-actuating member having an end projecting laterally into said plunger body;

e. said plunger having a connector, said connector having a part laterally offset from said longitudinal axis and provided with an opening;

f. said connector part opening receiving said end of said plunger-actuating member in two modes, in the first of which said end extends into the opening a distance such that said end limits angular movement of said plunger in both directions, and in the second of which said end extends only slightly beyond the frontal edge of said open- 8;

g. resilient means providing a snap latch connection between said plunger opening and said rod end, said snap latch being operable in said second mode upon angular movement of said plunger into and out of registry with the end of said rod;

h. said connector part providing a positive connection of said plunger to said actuating member in both modes whereby a positive seating and unseating of said plunger cap is provided.

2. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said resilient means is provided by the material of said plunger, said end acting as a cam surface past which said opening edge is movable to achieve latching and unlatching relationships.

3. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said plunger is made of resilient material to provide said resilient snap latch connection; said connector part being located at the lower end of said plunger.

4. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 3 in which said connector part has a lower leg extending beneath said end of said actuating member, said lower leg clearing said end when said plunger is moved approximately from its connected position.

5. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said actuating member is a rod having a ball element intermediate its length and supported at the side of said body; said rod being angularly movable about a horizontal axis passing through said ball in order to lift and lower said plunger.

6. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 5 in which in said second mode, said rod is positioned inwardly of said opening edge when said plunger is in lowered position and closer to the opening edge when said plunger is in elevated position, said cap serving as a handle for imparting angular movement to said plunger. 

1. In a popup waste structure for a lavatory sink or the like having a waste opening: a. a plunger body having an upper end adapted to be connected to said waste opening for receiving fluid waste from said sink; b. a plunger guided in said plunger body for movement longitudinally therein and angularly about the longitudinal axis thereof; c. a cap carried by said plunger and forming a popup closure for said waste opening; d. a plunger-actuating member having an end projecting laterally into said plunger body; e. said plunger having a connector, said connector having a part laterally offset from said longitudinal axis and provided with an opening; f. said connector part opening receiving said end of said plunger-actuating member in two modes, in the first of which said end extends into the opening a distance such that said end limits angular movement of said plunger in both directions, and in the second of which said end extends only slightly beyond the frontal edge of said opening; g. resilient means providing a snap latch connection between said plunger opening and said rod end, said snap latch being operable in said second mode upon Angular movement of said plunger into and out of registry with the end of said rod; h. said connector part providing a positive connection of said plunger to said actuating member in both modes whereby a positive seating and unseating of said plunger cap is provided.
 2. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said resilient means is provided by the material of said plunger, said end acting as a cam surface past which said opening edge is movable to achieve latching and unlatching relationships.
 3. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said plunger is made of resilient material to provide said resilient snap latch connection; said connector part being located at the lower end of said plunger.
 4. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 3 in which said connector part has a lower leg extending beneath said end of said actuating member, said lower leg clearing said end when said plunger is moved approximately 90* from its connected position.
 5. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said actuating member is a rod having a ball element intermediate its length and supported at the side of said body; said rod being angularly movable about a horizontal axis passing through said ball in order to lift and lower said plunger.
 6. The popup waste structure as set forth in claim 5 in which in said second mode, said rod is positioned inwardly of said opening edge when said plunger is in lowered position and closer to the opening edge when said plunger is in elevated position, said cap serving as a handle for imparting angular movement to said plunger. 